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By Garvin Gibbon
Manchester City’s disappointing campaign last season has been reflected in the annual Deloitte Football Money League, as the Abu Dhabi-backed English Premier League Club dropped down the table.
Last year was the first in eight that City, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, finished without a trophy and followed four Premier League titles in succession. A third-place finish in the EPL and early exit from the Uefa Champions League led the club to report a loss of £9.9 million ($13 million).
This is reflected in the latest rich list of global football clubs. City dropped from second spot in 2025 to sixth this year, with a 1 percent fall in revenues to €829 million ($965 million).
Qatar-backed Paris Saint-Germain also slipped despite winning the Champions League, the Uefa Super Cup, a 13th Ligue 1 title, 16th Coupe de France and 13th Trophée des Champions, and reaching the final of the Fifa Club World Cup held in the US.
PSG, which is majority-owned by Qatar Sports Investments, fell from third place in 2023-24 to fourth in the most recent season, despite its revenues increasing by almost 4 percent to €837 million.
Real Madrid topped the table, generating close to €1.2 billion during the 2024-25 season, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich taking the second and third spots respectively. Half of the top 10 spots are taken by clubs from England.
Although there is no place in the global top 20 for clubs from the big-spending Saudi Pro League, or David Beckham’s Inter Miami from America’s Major Soccer League, the report suggests this could change in the near future.
“Squads filled with star players have had a major impact on the global profile of clubs and both leagues. Before long, we may indeed see clubs from these leagues feature in the Money League as the world’s top revenue-generating clubs,” it said.
Top 10 football clubs by earnings in 2024-25
Real Madrid €1.161 billion
Barcelona €974.8 million
Bayern Munich €860.6 million
Paris Saint-Germain €837 million
Liverpool €836.1 million
Manchester City €829.3 million
Arsenal €821.7 million
Manchester United €793.1 million
Tottenham Hotspur €672.6 million
Chelsea €584.1 million
Source: Deloitte
